- Ferrari are currently Mercedes biggest rivals
- Where does the gap come from?
- Both Hamilton and Leclerc searching for Ferrari’s first win since 2024
After the opening three rounds of the 2026 F1 season, it is clear that at the moment, Ferrari are Mercedes closest rivals. Though McLaren might become more of a threat once F1 arrives in Miami, but for now, we know that Ferrari started the season off the closest.
The story so far
Mercedes are the team to beat. They have 135 points while Ferrari sit on 90. Mercedes have 4 podiums to Ferrari’s 4. Ferrari, like Mercedes, found themselves on the podium for all three races. The Scuderia may have the edge on the starts and corners, but once Mercedes get past in the race, their engine makes them almost untouchable. In all three races, Mercedes lost the lead to either the Ferrari or McLaren. But, when the chequered flag was waved, Ferrari was left far behind.
After the Japanese GP, Leclerc told the media, “We’re not as close as people think,” in relation to the gap to the frontrunners. Speaking on Ferrari’s plans for upcoming races, Leclerc said, “We have a few things in the pipeline that will hopefully help us. And we mustn’t overdo it, which can easily happen when you’re in this situation. We have to concentrate on ourselves.”
What can Ferrari do?
Despite admitting Mercedes’ upper hand, Ferrari plans to go to Miami with a real threat. Like McLaren, the Scuderia will bring a haul of upgrades in an attempt to catch and overtake Mercedes. Their private test that they will conduct this month will help them prepare for the challenge ahead. Having not won a race since Mexico 2024, Ferrari will be desperate to put it right.
Their planned upgrade list is reported to include a revised floor and their previously tested “Macarena wing”, which needed more testing time after the Chinese GP weekend.
Lewis Hamilton mentioned in an interview with F1, the different ways he and his team are aiming to close that gap to Mercedes. We’ll soon find out just how much Ferrari’s efforts will be rewarded.
These are still early days in the season, and during the unplanned five-week break, all eleven teams will be looking to use that time to close the gap on their rivals. While upgrades have to be formalised and introduced in line with FIA regs, data gained from the first three races can be analysed in search of vital tenths.
Miami can’t come soon enough.
